Means for controlling railroad-cars at loading-points



F. L. FLEMING.

MEANS FOR CONIIROLLING RAILROAD CARS AT LOADING POINTS. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 18, 1920.

1,386,560. Patnted Aug. 2, 1921.

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F. L. FLEMING. MEANS FOR CONTROLLING RAILROAD CARS AT LOADING POI NTS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 13, I920.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK L. FLEMING, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO PHILLIPS MINE AND MILL SUPPLY (30.; OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A11 2, 1921.

Application filed October 18, 1920. Serial No. 417,695.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. FLEMING, citizen of the United States, residing at Garrick borough, Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Controlling Railroad-Cars at Loading-Points, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention has relation to means for controlling railroad cars at loading points and has for its object the provision of novel means whereby the air brake appliances with which railroad cars are now usually supplied can be utilized in controlling the starting, stopping and movement of cars when detached from a locomotive.

My invention relates particularly to means for controlling the starting, stopping and movement of railroad cars which are being loaded at a coal tipple, where, according to the usual custom, the empty cars are pushed onto a siding by a locomotive and allowed to run under the tipple by gravity and after they are loaded, are allowed to run onto the main track by gravity.

At some mines the movement of the cars and the stopping and starting of the same is effected by hand brakes and at others by means of ropes operated from the trimmers platform under the tipple. Neither one of these means has proved satisfactory and where either is used a car occasionally gets out of control, with resulting damage and danger to life.

In carrying my invention into effect I provide at or near the point where the loading is effected a source of supply of compressed air, an extensible connection, such for example, as a hose, by means of which compressed air can be conveyed to the air brake appliances on the-cars and a suitable valve arranged at a. convenient point between the source of supply of compressed air and the extensible connection and whereby the supply of compressed air to the cars can be regulated and the starting, stopping and movement of the cars controlled with ease and certainty.

In the accompanying drawing in which I have illustrated my invention as applied to the control of cars at a coal tipple:

Figure 1, is a front elevation of a coal tipple, partly broken away and showing the siding track and a car in loading position thereunder and showing also my improved car controlling means.

Fig. 2, is a to plan view of the same, showing double siding tracks with a car on each track.

Fig. 3, is a plan view of a short section of track, showing a modified form of extensible connection for the car controlling means.

Fig. 4:, is a vertical sectional view on the line IV of Fig. 8.

Fig. 5, is a side elevation on an enlarged scale and partly in section of the reel on which the extensible connection of Fig. 3 is wound.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view on the line VI of Fig. 5.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the tipple structure shown and designated 1, is of the usual character and form and need not be particularly described.

On the tipple platform I arrange an electric motor 2, that drives an air compressor 3, provided with an air reservoir or tank a, from which a pipe 5, leads to an extensible connection 7, which in this form of my invention is a flexible hose, a valve (5, which may be similar to the engineers air brake valve on a locomotive, being interposed at any convenient point in the line of pipe 5.

The hose 7 has one end at a fixed point a suitable distance from the tipple and the hose is supported throughout its length upon a trolley line 8 by means of hangers 9, the free end of the hose being supplied with a coupling adapted to be connected with the air brake hose coupling 10, of a car 11.

The hose 7 is of sufficient length to provide for the maximum required movement of the cars on the mine siding and as a convenient means for taking up the slack of the hose, I have provided a reel 12, that carries a line 13, leading to the hanger 9, at the outer or free end of the hose, a handle 14 carried by the shaft of the reel, serving to turn the reel to wind up the line 13, and draw in the hose as may be required.

attached to the air brake coupling of the car and, by proper manipulation of the valve (3,

the brakes on the car are released and the car is allowed to run by gravity (the siding tracks being inclined) to the desired polnt beneath the tipple, where it is stopped by.

operation of the brakes through the medium of the valve 6.

After the car has been loaded the brakes are again released and the car allowed to run by gravity to the end of the siding tracks and again stopped, the hose 7 is uncoupled from the air brake coupling of the car and the car thencoupled to a locomotive and moved to the main line tracks.

' During the operations thus performed the car is maintained constantly under perfect control and can be started and stopped at will, just as efiectually as if coupled to a locomotive.

By reason of this perfect control of the movement of the car all danger of the car running w'ild is obviated and damage and danger to life avoided.

I11 the modification illustrated in Figs. 3, 4;, 5 and 6, I have provided a hose reel 15, which is arranged between and below the tracks of the siding, designated 16, and provided with a handle 17, by means of which the hose can be wound up onthe reel as required to take up the slack, the hose being coupled to the shaft 18, of the reel at 19, and

the shaft of the'reel being connected at 20,

the pipe 5, remains stationary, a port or passage 21, being formed in the shaft 18, to afford communication of the pipe 5 with the hose, which in Figs. 3, l, 5 and 6, is designated 7'.

The reel 15, is provided as an alternative or substitute for the trolley line in Figs. 1 and 2, and in practice thehose 7, is intended to be stretched along the ties, the construction and arrangement of the other parts of the apparatus being the same as in the Figs. 1 and 2, and as hereinbefore described.

I claim:

1. In means for controlling cars, the combination of a stationary source of supply of compressed air, a pipe leading therefrom to a fixed point, an extensible air conduit in communication through said pipe with said source of supply, a valve arranged on said pipe and adapted to control the passage of air through said conduit, means for coupling said conduit to the air brake'appliances of a car.

2. In means for controlling cars, the combination of air compressing means, a stationary air conduit leading from said air compressing means, a flexible air connection means in communication with said air conduit' and provided with means for attachment to the air brake appliances ofa car, and a valve on said stationary air conduit adapted and arranged to regulate and control the pas sage of air through said air conduit.

3. In means for controlling the movement of cars at loading points, the combination with an air compressing apparatus, of an air conduit leading from said apparatus to a fixed point, a controlling valve arranged and adapted to control the flow of air through said conduit, a hose connected to the said air conduit at its fixed terminal and provided signature. V

FRANK L. FLEMING. 

